Work on an extended-range version of the Hwasong-5 began around 1984,[1] and with only relatively minor modifications, a new type was produced from 1989, designated Hwasong-6 ("Scud Mod.

[1] The North Koreans would later use their acquired know-how to produce domestic copies of the Scud-B to create a larger missile, the Hwasong-7.

Due to difficulties in procuring MAZ-543 TELs, mobile launchers were produced in North Korea.

By 1999, North Korea was estimated to have produced 600 to 1,000 Hwasong-6 missiles, of which 25 had been launched in tests, 300 to 500 had been exported, and 300 to 600 were in service with the Korean People's Army.

[7][9] The Hwasong-6 was exported to Iran, where it is designated as the Shahab-2, to Syria, where it is manufactured under licence with Chinese assistance[6] and to Yemen.